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Santa's Sleigh
Santa's Sleigh is a float that traditionally appears at the end of every Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The float traditionally depicts Santa Claus riding on his trademark sleigh. Since the late 1970s, the float has bookended the Parade with Tom Turkey, who leads the Parade down the Parade route every year. History with the Macy's Parade Santa's Sleigh was one of the original floats designed for the initial parade. Much like the other floats from the time frame, the design was simple, with Santa sitting upon a mountain of snow in his sleigh with evergreen trees added discretely throughout the float. This float is also notable for being one of the only-ever floats to be horsedrawn, a practice that would be phased out throughout the 1930s and 1940s. The float retired after the 1925 Parade, in order to make way for a new float dubbed "Santa's Plane", which featured the jolly man in the red suit delivering toys to children acris float lasted even shorter than the previous one, retiring after its initial appearance. With Tony Sarg now at the helm of Parade production, a new Santa's Sleigh float was built for the 1927 Parade. The float featured making his way through a snowy night, with pine trees decorated ever-so delicately around him. At the rear of the float, a large inflatable sphere that read "Merry Christmas from Macy's" represented Santa's enormous bag of toys, which he would deliver one-by-one on Christmas Eve. The timeframe of the float's use is unknown, although it was most likely used until 1932. A float depicting Santa's Sleigh was not used in the 1933 Parade. Instead, Santa Claus rode upon the top of a three-sectioned float entitled the "Herald Square Express", which was filled to the bursting point with toys and goodies for the good boys and girls all around the world. This float (notable for kicking off the parade instead of ending it) was retired after one year. Santa received a brand-new float in the 1934 Parade, which was used until 1941. The float depicted Santa and his whimsical reindeer flying high above the snow-topped regal Victorian-style houses, as he rode in a colossal golden sleigh. Escorting the float down the Parade route, men dressed as toy soldiers waved and smiled to the crowd. After World War II had ended in May of 1945, the Parade team decided that a new Santa's Sleigh float would help Americans gain a sense of normalcy after the war-stricken times. The float featured eight identically-sculpted reindeer, reused from the previous incarnation, landing upon a snow-covered rooftop, eager to deliver toys. Instead of sitting in his sleigh as he normally would, Santa appeared popping out of a chimney at the rear of the float. For the 1946 parade, the 1934 float returned to the lineup, now billowing smoke from the house's chimney. The longevity of the float is currently unknown, although it was most likely retired sometime during the late 1940s-early 1950s. Sometime during the mid-late 1950s, Santa received a new float. The float was very long and slender in appearance, featuring Santa's eight magical flying reindeer as they sweep across the tops of houses on his Christmas Eve mission. A new addition was a banner reading "Macy's Welcomes Santa", which was carried by women who were traditionally dressed as soldiers. The float was retired after the 1959 Parade. A much larger float of Santa's Sleigh debuted in the 1960 Parade. The float showcased Santa, now only joined by two sculpted reindeer, waving and blowing kisses to the crowd. At the rear of the float, a large Christmas tree decked with snow and topped with a dazzling golden star carried Macy's employees dressed as Santa's elves. The float was reworked for 1961's parade, adding four more reindeer for a new total of six. This float was retired shortly after the 1963 Parade. In 1964, the Parade team designed and crafted the grandest Santa's Sleigh float yet. It was very similar to the 1940s version of the float, albeit in larger scale. The rear of the float also gained the facade of Santa's Workshop in the North Pole, where the elves were busy at work making the year's order of toys. The float was retired shortly after the 1967 Parade. A new float, similar to that of the 1950s float, made its debut in the 1968 Parade. The float featured Santa, as always, as he travels the world with his eight trusty and magical reindeer in a golden sleigh. Peppermint pinwheels gave the float a sense of animation and movement, and carolers and elves rode upon a large faux Christmas tree at the rear of the float. After only making two appearances, the float was retired after the 1969 Parade. In 1970, with the Parade Studio team now situated in a permanent warehouse in Hoboken, New Jersey, and under the guise of Manfred Bass, the team would create one of the most detailed and largest floats in Parade history The float featured Santa in an intricately-detailed red and gold sleigh, as he takes off for flight atop his famed toy-making workshop. The workshop was also very detailed, with candles in the windows. giant candy canes, and snow-colored wreaths donning the doors. a sculpture of frosty the snowman stood behind the sleigh, sporting a purple top hat and orange-and-yellow-clad scarf. In 1972, frosty was elevated and placed upon a giant chimney, which bellowed smoke as it traveled down the Parade route. After seven years, the float was retired after the 1977 Parade and the float was donated to charity. The frosty figure still survives The most recognizable and longest-lasting Santa's Sleigh float made its debut in 1978. Santa's Sleigh now took form as a giant snow goose, and eight beautifully-decorated and sculpted flying reindeer. Additionally, Mrs. Claus would appear for the first-ever time alongside her holly hubby. Children dressed as candy canes and Christmas elves escorted the float en route to Herald Square. The float was upgraded in 1988, when a giant Christmas wreath was added behind Santa and his dear Mrs. Overall, the float made 31 consecutive appearances, making it the longest-lasting version of the famous sleigh, and was retired after the 2008 Parade. Despite its retirement, it would appear in Macy's Holiday Parade at Universal Orlando Resort from 2002 until 2016, when it was retired due to the Parade's rebranding. The float was last seen in November of 2017 in the float warehouse, and most likely still resides there to this day. A smaller Santa's Sleigh float appeared in the first-ever run of Macy's Holiday Parade in 2001. It featured a basic rectangular base with Santa standing next to his sleigh, with a large inflatable jack-in-the-box, which was borrowed from the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer float. The float only made one appearance during the Parade's 2001 season and was disposed of shortly afterwards. For the first time in over 30 years, the Parade Studio team banded together to create a brand-new Santa's Sleigh float. According to vice president of Macy's Parade Studio, John Piper, Santa personally told him that he thought it was time for a new float. The float is, at 60-feet long, 22-feet wide and 3 ½ stories tall, Kris Kringle's largest float yet. The float features Santa as he takes off from his fame North Pole workshop in a colossal green-and-gold sleigh on a mission to deliver toys and gifts, all of which are stored in a massive red bag at the rear of the float. Ice-sculpted arctic foxes and polar bears stare in awe at a giant ice crystal, which yields a dazzling, glistening golden star. The float is currently the Parade's oldest float as of 2019. Category:Floats Category:1924 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Category:1978 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Category:2009 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Category:1920s Floats Category:1960s Floats Category:1970s Floats Category:1980s Floats Category:2000s Floats Category:Current Floats Category:1926 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Category:1960 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Category:1964 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Category:1968 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Category:1970 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Category:1988 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade